Eternity
by brjosk
Summary: There's a reason Chibiusa is never called Serenity.
1. Only one day

Eternity

Chapter 1

By brjosk

Standard disclaimers apply.

If you want to flame me go ahead, but read to the end before you do.

In the morning, Usagi Tsukino smiles. Her lips are stretched and her face is peaceful. She smiles and smiles and can't stop smiling.

Luna is pale, paler than any black cat has the right to be. She's trembling and can't seem to stop. "Your majesty-" she begins.

Usagi smiles wider. "Not today." Her smile grows like it wants to eat the world. Endymion is no where to be seen.

In the garden, a red eyed girl is dancing. She is the princess of the land, and she is nine today. Her papa has promised her a pony, and her mama the world.

Queen Makoto looks lost today. At lunch time, she bakes muffins and cries in her tea. The head chef hovers near her, quivering with uncertainty.

Outside the garden two women are speaking in quiet voices, hair mingling in a wash of green. Michiru's eyes crack as her voice rises. She snaps. And then she crumbles. Setsuna does not move while the red handprint on her face fades from view. Michiru tells the ground, "I'..."

Pluto walks into the garden and the winds carry Michiru's voice away.

The little girl looks up at the footsteps and smiles, extra wide. "Setsuna-san! Setsuna-san! You came after all." Setsuna smiles at her armful of giggling princess and says, to herself, "I could not have stayed away."

Sailor Mercury lies by her work. Mounds of paper and crystal chips cover her. While she dreams, her mouth mutters equations and hisses paradox.

Setsuna glides into the Great Hall, looking oddly human, with a too-tall child in her arms. Saturn stops them. She is steel. "Princess Serenity. I fear you are too old to be transported in such a manner." The younger Serenity pouts and climbs down.

Neo Queen Serenity, Usagi, stiffens and then stiffly puts down her crown. She walks to her child proudly, with Minako grinning wildly behind her.

Usagi with her hands on her child's shoulders bends down to her knees. "Neko-chan, Sere-chan, I have a very important question for you. You must answer this very, very seriously."

Saturn's eyes are sorrowful.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Sere-chan, young Serenity, answers brightly, firmly, with all the conviction and enthusiasm she has. "I want to be a senshi! Just like Setsuna-san!"

Rei's eyes would cut glass, but she keeps them closed.

A/N: A second chapter might be coming. (After all something's got to account for the angst I'm giving it right?) I have the main ideas in my head, but I'm not sure if it'll work out in the way I want. Tell me if you'd like me to continue. Or if you'd like me to explain ;)

...I want reviews...badly...

I'm checking my stats so I know that people are reading. Why aren't people reviewing?

...First reviewer gets candy...


	2. The past

Last night.

Neo Queen Serenity, Her August Highness, sneaks stealthily into the bedroom, silk night gown trailing behind her, bare feet a whisper on the marble floors. As she closes the door, darkness swallows the room. She walks blindly forward, knowing the way by heart. Her hand reaches out to grasp the heavily velvet draping a step before the bed and she stops, staring blankly into space.

"Mama," a voice sleepily mutters, "Can I wear the black dress tomorrow? It's so pretty!"

"Darling, everything will be as you wish." In the darkness, no one can see the bitter twist of Serenity's lips.

"Good, 'cause Rei-chan was saying black was too serious for little kids to wear, but I'll be nine tomorrow and that's not little at all!"

"It wouldn't be so bad, would it, to be little for a while longer?"

"No one takes little kids seriously. I want to be a serious person..." the little princess trails off, asleep again.

Serenity sits at the side of the bed and listens to her breathe.

* * *

Shortly afterwards.

Usagi isn't surprised to find Mamoru there when she opens the door, "Are you here to ...?"

"No," he says abruptly.

"You're leaving then," she states, trailing her fingers on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry Usako," he whispers turning away.

Her finger tighten, leaving red marks against his skin, as she forcibly turns his head to face her.

"Why," she whispers scathingly, "do I always have to be the strong one?"

"I'm sorry," he whispers closing his eyes, "But I can't stay here."

"Not even for your daughter?"

"I can't pretend."

She sags against him then, letting her tears soak his shoulder, as he continues to look away.

* * *

Nine years and nine months ago.

Serenity startles awake at a soft knock on her door. Lifting her head from a pile of paperwork, she surreptitiously wipes the drool from her mouth.

"Setsuna!" she exclaims, as the woman pushes her way inside, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

* * *

An age ago.

A dying girl stops time.


	3. An ending

In the Great Hall.

Serenity is kneeling to hug her daughter, her smile straining at the corners.

At the sound of Minako's hysterical giggling, Rei snaps around to face her. "What did you do?" she hisses.

Minako stiffens. "Saving her," Venus replies, her voice a contemptuous lash, "Are you going to stop me?"

As a loud "World Shaking!" erupts outside, Sailor Venus flashes to the side of the queen. Before she reaches the princess she is intercepted by an crackling purple barrier.

"Why are you doing this?" she cries, "How can you let her die?"

* * *

Two hours ago in the hallway outside the Great Hall.

"How can you smile Usagi, when Serenity-chan is going to die! She'll never grow up or have her first kiss or a real life or any of those things!" Minako is yelling, frantic.

"Before she was born," Usagi whispered, "I promised to let her go. It was the only way she could have been born."

"A promise like that is worthless! We can still save her! You can't honestly mean it!"

"If it was anyone else, Minako, if I had promised anyone else, I would have kill them before the words left my mouth. But I promised her anything she wants, and this is the only thing she wants!" It tore out, through the ragged smile still on her face.

Serenity paused for a moment to recompose herself and then placed her fingers along Minako's mouth. "Smile, Mina-chan, like this."

* * *

She is touching her mama's crystal, and it hurts, hurts, hurts. Mina-chan called this "dying", but she doesn't think it is dying, because dying stops doesn't it? This isn't ever going to stop. The crystal isn't meant to be used like this, maybe, but she's special. She can make it do anything she wants it to. She wishes she has some of Mako-chan's apple muffins. They make everything better. Time is really funny, and watching through Luna-P is making her dizzy. She likes staying in Artemis-P better, it's so pretty! It has the shiniest (blackest) best hair ever even if it can't change like Luna-P can and always has to stay at the Time Gates (for now). She keeps seeing another girl with red eyes like hers. She wants to ask Mama-in-the-future if the girl is her sister, but Mama-in-the-future always cries when she visits and doesn't listen, even when it's about monsters. Maybe the girl will listen (she'll send Luna-P).

* * *

In the morning, outside the garden.

The sound of a slap is echoing silently inside of Michiru's head. "You've changed," a quiet voice interrupts from above. Michiru looks up to see Hotaru sitting on a thick branch, an apple dangling forgotten in her hand. Her voice hardens, "But the situation hasn't changed. Remember what it means to be an outer senshi."

* * *

Nine years ago.

In the garden, Pluto is sitting with her younger self in her arms. "You have a duty," she whispers, "And it is the only thing that matters."


End file.
